Economic Thinking

Angels righthander Nick Adenhart didn’t turn 21 until late August last year, making him one of the youngest pitchers in Double-A last season. The quality of his fastball-slider-changeup mix accelerated his rapid rise to Double-A Arkansas, but Adenhart said he knows he has to throw strikes more frequently to succeed as he progresses through the system.

"I have to learn to work to set up Major League hitters," Adenhart said. "In high school, you can go out there and strike out guys on three or four pitches. In the Majors, they are trying to work you for five and six pitches. If you do that, you reach your 100 pitches by the fifth inning.

"It’s all about being more economical with the pitches. To be a Major League pitcher, it’s all about staying in the game as long as possible to help the bullpen."

After finishing with a 3.56 ERA in 156 innings last year, Adenhart ranked 24th on the BA Top 100 list.